Former President Joe Biden has decided to locate his presidential library in Delaware and has tapped a 13-member governance board to begin fundraising and find a site for the museum and archive, the Joe and Jill Biden Foundation announced this week.
The board includes former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, longtime White House adviser Steve Ricchetti and Democratic fundraiser Rufus Gifford, among others with close ties to the Bidens. The group is charged with raising private funds and selecting a location for the project, a task that the foundation said will include both a museum and archival components.
The effort comes as fundraising conditions have grown more difficult for many Democrats. Party donors have shown signs of fragmentation over the future direction of the party, and some major contributors have slowed or stopped giving in recent months. The library team faces the challenge of courting traditional corporate and institutional donors at a moment when partisan divisions are heightened and some potential backers may be wary of political backlash.
Presidential libraries are typically built with privately raised funds and later incorporated into the National Archives' presidential library system. The Biden board will oversee the initial private fundraising drive and the process of choosing a site in Delaware, a state long associated with Biden's personal and political life.
The foundation did not release a timetable for construction or public opening. The governance board will be responsible for setting fundraising targets, vetting potential locations and coordinating with archival and museum experts on the library's design and scope.
Biden served one term as president. The decision to place his presidential library in his home state follows a common pattern in which former presidents select locations tied to their personal histories and political bases. The specific site and the scale of the planned center have not been disclosed.
How much the project will ultimately rely on corporate, foundation and high-dollar individual contributions remains an open question. Historically, presidential library projects have drawn donations from a mix of private sources, including legacy donors and institutions; the Biden team's ability to replicate that mix will be central to the pace and scope of the project.
Foundation officials said the governance board will include advisers with experience in political operations, diplomacy and fundraising, reflecting the multifaceted work of raising large sums while shaping a lasting public exhibit. The board's formation marks the formal start of what is expected to be a multi-year initiative to establish a permanent home for Biden's presidential papers and related public programming.
No additional details about potential fundraising targets, the composition of professional staff for the project, or anticipated partnerships with archival institutions were released. The foundation said it will provide updates as the board advances the site-selection and fundraising phases.